Department of Physician Assistant Studies

Admissions for Physician Assistants

Students apply as freshmen for the five-year, entry-level Master's program. Within the five year period, students earn both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree. The admissions criteria for these applicants are posted below. Because the process of admissions is very competitive, students must have a strong academic record. There are some additional strategies to improve your chances of gaining admission.

Leadership Skills: Demonstration of leadership in school or community organizations is a benefit and strengthens your application.

Demonstration of knowledge of the PA Profession and Shadowing Experience: Applicants should have an understanding of the PA profession. Observing a PA in clinical practice is a great way to gain that understanding. Shadowing can be accomplished by contacting a PA and asking if you may observe them during their practice. Although there is not a required number of hours to successfully shadow a PA, applicant should use this as an opportunity to learn as much about the profession and the various roles of a PA as possible.

Freshman Admission Requirements

Admission to the Physician Assistant program at the freshman level requires the following:

a minimum Q.P.A. of at least 3.0

a composite math and verbal SAT score of at least 1,100 or a composite ACT score of at least 24

a minimum of seven units of math and science

evidence of extracurricular activities during high school

knowledge of the physician assistant profession

It is recommended that students begin shadowing/observing a physician assistant while in high school to become more familiar with the profession. Students who meet all academic and program requirements during the pre-professional phase will be guaranteed admittance into the accredited phase.

The application deadline for freshmen is December 1st. Applications will not be accepted after that date.

Transfer Students

Due to capacity constraints we are not accepting transfer or second-degree applications to the PA program. Any student with more than 12 post-secondary credits is considered a transfer student.